Final adjustments were being made to a beaver trap at Scottish Natural Heritage’s Battleby premises on Thursday.

The trap - extra long to accommodate the animal’s extensive tail - was about to be transported to Pitlochry, where it’s hoped it will soon harmlessly capture a beaver.

A similar trap was used by SNH to catch and health test the first European beavers to appear in the Tayside area in 2011. Controversially, an animal died after being transported to Edinburgh zoo for testing.

However, the trapping target this time is likely to live to tell the tale. It’s a young beaver in Pitlochry, which has taken up residence in a pond in the middle of the town.

The beaver is thought to have left a bigger family group living in the River Tummel near Faskally Dam and made its way downstream to the recreation ground.

From there it explored its way up the Moulin Burn, looking for a place of its own. But the waterway passes through a network of concrete culverts and man-made modifications.

“This animal has popped out at the mill pond, the first vaguely suitable location for it to build a lodge,” explained John Burrow from SNH.

“But with the best will in the world, it’s not going to work as a long term location for it.”

Now after being there for several months, the beaver’s attempts to dam the pond’s outlet has put it into conflict with people.

Wooden debris stacked up by the beaver across the pond outlet has been removed daily by staff at the Craigvrach Hotel.

There are fears that if left alone, the dam material will be washed away naturally by heavy rain and branches will block drains and cause flooding lower down in the town.

The Co-op store and other vulnerable businesses lie directly in the path of the Moulin burn.

Scottish Natural Heritage hopes the beaver will enter the trap of its own accord. Once securely caged it will be released back into the River Tummel with its family group near Pitlochry Theatre.

John Burrow assured Pitlochry residents that the hapless youngster will not be able to return to the mill pond in future, because guards covering the culvert have been made narrower.